A rendering of a residential development for the northwest corner of 53rd Street and Cornell Avenue, which includes a new façade for the northeast corner, proposed by MAC Property Management. – Rendering courtesy of MAC Property Management

By JOSEPH PHILLIPS
Contributing Writer

Tensions were high on Thursday night April 13, as representatives from MAC Property Management, its parent company Antheus Capital and Ald. Leslie Hairston (5th) hosted a public meeting for residents of the Hyde Park community to update them on its 250 unit, 28 story building proposal for the corner of 53rd Street and Cornell Avenue.

About 40 community members attended the meeting, which was held at East Park Tower, 5242 S. Hyde Park Blvd. For most of the meeting residents raised concerns such as parking, zoning, apartment views and future living expenses. Their concerns involved Antheus and MAC’s entire project, which includes the 5242 S. Hyde Park Blvd. building, the rezoning of the structure on the northeast corner of 53rd Street and Cornell Avenue and the proposed building for the northwest corner of 53rd Street and Cornell Avenue.

During the meeting, Antheus and MAC representatives presented architectural renderings with 3D images of the new façade proposed for the northeast corner of 53rd Street and Cornell Avenue and the proposed building for the northwest corner of 53rd Street and Cornell Avenue.

A few residents said they liked the idea of drawing new people to the neighborhood but did not like that the community was informed of the changes so late in the process.

Hyde Park resident Gregory Sain said high quality management should be provided for all properties managed by MAC.

“When you put new buildings up you can’t neglect the ones that were already built,” Sain said. “There has to be a balance in amenities.”

Sain MAC’s existing properties may lessen in value if they are neglected for the sake of the new properties.

During the open comments session at the meeting there were several spirited debates between community members and Antheus and MAC representatives that were often mediated by Hairston when she wasn’t involved in them.

Despite the objections to the project by certain residents, Eli Ungar, president and chairman of Antheus, said, during his presentation, that this project would not only drive more revenue into the community but that no tenant’s would be displaced within the process. He also explained that residents shouldn’t be concerned and that it will benefit Hyde Park’s lively and vibrant community both short-term and long-term in value.

Construction on the proposed development is in the process of being approved by the City of Chicago Planning Commission. A hearing will take place on Thursday April 20.

Update: Comments from Eli Ungar were changed from a quote to a paraphrase.

Mac neglects their properties that are currently on
Hyde Park Blvd between 53rd and 54th. They clean the property of garbage on the parkway once a week.
I complained to the office in person and was told thanks for your two cents. They are not a good neighbor. The corner they are building on should not be 28 stories high. It is way too high for the surrounding property. That block used to have small businesses that went out of business to clear the property for Mac.

Hopefully the nimby’s and car-dependent Hyde Parker’s don’t stop this development – the previous buildings on the site were run down and lowered the potential of the neighborhood as a whole. Hopefully this gets built and we get more transit dependent residents who shop and dine locally rather than rushing up to Roosevelt or the north side to do their shopping.

They’re turning HP into another hotspot…the new building on 53rd is an eyesore, and looks so out of place. They should’ve stopped at the hotel on 53rd and building on 51st and Lake Park. The neighborhood is losing its identity, and the vintage Chicago feeling it had. Now it is extra crowded, parking is even more of a nightmare than before, and these new eyesore high-rises are just adding to it. Plus, other current MAC properties are being neglected while they are focusing on glamourizing HP. I hope this doesn’t clear the CPC